Mumbai: “I managed to wear the life jacket on time, but 3-4 others were clinging on to me. It became difficult to stay afloat. Then I found a crate in the water and held on to it,” said Kurla resident Jeetu Choudhary, recounting the most terrifying 25 minutes of his life. Choudhary managed to stay afloat till help arrived. He said he helped 7-8 people put on life jackets but knew there weren’t enough for all on board.
A day after the incident off Gateway, most survivors expressed anger with the lack of preparedness on ferries to handle emergencies. “Nobody had any idea on what had to be done. It was complete chaos. There were no instructions from the boat driver. The ones who wore lifejackets should have ideally jumped off, but they all kept running towards the other side. The driver had allowed people to sit on the roof for an additional Rs 50. Not many of them managed to get life jackets when they came down,” said U Singh, who was with three of his friends from Kushalnagar in Karnataka. “I knew a little swimming, but that was of no use in such a situation,” he added. Of the three friends, two were admitted to St George, he said, but they are stable.
Choudhary recalled the moment when the navy speed boat rammed into the ferry. “Some were shooting videos, a few were making reels. Initially no one realised that the collision caused a hole in the boat. Ideally people should be wearing life jackets before the ride. It is very difficult to wear it in such situations as people tend to panic. Many were struggling with it,” he added.
Joshua Fernando, another survivor, said there were enough lifejackets, but not enough time to distribute them. “Those with life jackets were also panicking. No one told them to leave the boat and float in water,” he said.
